Rihanna surprised New York City with an impromptu appearance at the Girls Love Karaoke event. Videos of her belting out her hit songs quickly went viral, generating a massive online buzz. Even Justin Bieber expressed his disappointment at missing the performance, sharing a fan-recorded video on his Instagram Stories with the caption, “Missed seein you sing Queen,” accompanied by crown and other emojis. According to fan footage, Rihanna performed tracks from her 2016 album *Anti*, including “Needed Me,” despite claiming she only had five minutes left and her “battery” was “about to burn out.” The crowd clearly adored the performance, with many hailing it as the “Best Karaoke Night Ever.” Rihanna’s powerful vocals, showcased in the impromptu performance, even sparked online speculation comparing her voice to Whitney Houston’s and predicting Beyoncé might emulate her vocal style.
The surprise appearance comes amidst previous speculation about Rihanna’s potential retirement from music. Last year, a photograph of her wearing a shirt that read “I’m Retired” ignited rumors. However, Rihanna quickly dispelled these rumors in an interview with Entertainment Tonight, clarifying that the shirt’s full message read, “I’m Retired. This is as dressed up as I can get,” emphasizing her intention was to highlight her preference for casual attire, not her retirement from music.
It has been over eight years since Rihanna released a full album, fueling fan anticipation and persistent rumors of a career shift. While she has released individual songs, such as “Lift Me Up” for *Black Panther: Wakanda Forever*, the lack of a new album since 2016’s *Anti* continues to generate excitement and speculation amongst her dedicated fanbase who eagerly await her highly anticipated “R9” album.